UN calls terrorism scourge with no borders, stresses "no double standards" in fight against terror

By Ayushi Agarwal
New Delhi [India], September 12 (ANI): Terrorism is a scourge that knows no borders and requires global solutions, UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Saturday, stressing the need to avoid double standards in the fight against terrorism.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Dujarric said the United Nations has several entities that assist countries in combating terrorism and underlined the need for a coordinated global response.
"Terrorism is a scourge that knows no border. It is a scourge that needs to find global solutions. We have a number of entities within the UN that help countries fight terrorism, and it is very important, as the Secretary-General has often said, that there are no double standards," Dujarric told ANI.
His remarks came after BRICS countries adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, in which the grouping strongly condemned the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people and injured several others.
The BRICS declaration reaffirmed the grouping's commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens. It called for zero tolerance towards terrorism and rejected double standards in countering the menace.
The BRICS countries also called for the expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism under the UN framework and urged concerted action against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities.
The declaration also backed the aspirations of India and Brazil to play a greater role in the United Nations, including its Security Council. China and Russia, as permanent members of the Security Council, reiterated their support for the aspirations of India and Brazil.
The BRICS leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reforming the UN Security Council to make it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, with greater representation for developing countries.
Dujarric also addressed the issue of women holding the top UN post, saying the Secretary-General has been a champion of gender equality and parity across the organisation.
"The Secretary-General has no input in the election, but I think he has been a champion of not only gender equality but in terms of acting. We now have gender equality and gender parity across the board of the UN, including at the senior-most levels. There is no reason any rational person can think of that a woman cannot be elected to any position, including Secretary-General of the UN," he said.
On the economic front, the New Delhi Declaration voiced serious concern over the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, saying they distort trade, threaten global supply chains and create uncertainty for international economic activity.
The grouping reaffirmed support for reform of the World Trade Organisation and called for an open, equitable, transparent, fair, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system. It also advocated the immediate restoration of a fully functioning two-tier binding WTO dispute settlement mechanism.
The declaration further condemned unilateral economic and secondary sanctions, saying such measures were contrary to international law and had adverse implications for development, health and food security. (ANI)